PORTAGE -- The purchase and rehab of two apartment complexes in the Kalamazoo area to house low-income and special-needs individuals will cost about $5.8 million.

The results of the project slated for an April completion will address an unmet need in the community, said Douglas Thompson, development director with Residential Opportunities Inc.

ROI, based in Kalamazoo, operates group homes and provides supported-living services for adults in Kalamazoo County who have physical and mental disabilities and traumatic brain injury. The agency also offers crisis services when placements are in jeopardy.

Financial backers of the project include the state of Michigan, the cities of Kalamazoo and Portage, and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation.